EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 



355 



tafk with ardour, when the youth who having firft filled chap. 

 their bafkets, Avaatonly run naked, and play amongft the xxix. 

 luxuriant foliage. 



I will now condu6l them before the overfeer's prefence, 

 where, all the bafkets being infpecfled, the flogging com- 

 mences,which is moftly inflided with impartial feverity on 

 all who have not fulfilled their tafks, whether from idlenefs 

 or incapacity. This ceremony concluded, the berries are 

 carried home into the bruiling-lodge, and the flaves re- 

 turn home to their houfes. The berries being bruifed in 

 a mill for that purpofe, in the above lodge, to feparate 

 the kernels from the hufks or pulpy fubftance, they are 

 next fteeped in water one night to cleanfe them, and then 

 fpread on the drying-floor, which is expofed to the open 

 air, and is conftrudted of flat ftones ; after which they 

 are , fpread on garrets made for the purpofe, to let them 

 evaporate and dry internally, during which time they 

 muft be turned over every; day with wooden fliovels : 

 this done, they are , once more dried in large coolers or 

 drawers, that run eafily on . rollers in and out of the win- 

 dows, to prevent them from being overtaken by fhowers 

 of rain: then, they are put into wooden mortars, an^ 

 beaten by candle-light vvitli heavy wooden peftles, like 

 the rice at Gado-Saby, to diveft them of a thin coat or 

 pellicle that unites the two kernels in the pulp. At this 

 exercife the negroes wonderfully keep time, and always 

 iipg a chorus. Being next feparated. from the chaff 

 through a bunt-mill, onqe more thoroughly dried on the 



Z z 3 coolers, 



